Revanth Reddy seeks Telangana's due share in Krishna, Godavari waters
Hyderabad, June 1
In light of the meteorological department's indications that drought conditions will persist due to the El Nino effect, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday directed officials to ensure that Telangana receives its share of Krishna and Godavari waters.
He cautioned officials that if the upper riparian states follow a policy of releasing water only after their dams are full, it will cause problems for Telangana.
In the context of the rainy season and the beginning of agricultural activity, the Chief Minister reviewed advance action measures to be taken at a high-level meeting in Dr B.R. Ambedkar State Secretariat.
As the drought situation is also likely to prevail in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the Chief Minister directed irrigation department officials to proactively discuss with officials of those states and formulate appropriate action plans to ensure that Telangana receives its pro-rata share of inter-state waters.
He directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao to discuss with Maharashtra officials the issue of the state utilising 100 per cent of the water from the Koyna Dam for hydropower generation and whether Telangana can take that entire water and supply the required electricity to them.
The Chief Minister reminded that thousands of TMC of water from the Godavari River flows wastefully into the sea every year, and that floods also arrive in a very short time. In this context, he suggested formulating a clear policy on how to divert floods coming from both the Godavari and Pranahita sides
He directed that repairs to the gates of all dams in the state be undertaken on a war footing.
The CM questioned officials for details on dam maintenance. He recalled the troubles that arose in the Kadam Project in the past. Officials from the finance department informed that Rs 300 crores have already been released for gate repairs and maintenance.
He ordered that funds be released immediately, no matter how much is required. CM Revanth Reddy warned that if any issues arise regarding dams anywhere during this rainy season, strict action will be taken against the officials.
The Chief Minister directed agriculture department officials to make decisions on crop sowing in accordance with the meteorological department estimates and reports. He said awareness should be created among farmers through Rythu Vedikas on crop shifting, crop diversification, low-water-consuming crops, and varieties.
He said videos prepared with AI technology on this matter should be screened. He directed that broadcasts related to this be arranged on TV channels as well. He said appropriate care should also be taken in the supply of necessary seeds and fertilisers along with crop sowing.
The Chief Minister questioned officials about the implementation details of the assurances given during his field-level visits to Kamareddy, Khammam, and Warangal districts during last year's floods.
The Chief Minister suggested taking precautions in the three municipal corporations under the Greater Hyderabad limits to prevent floodwater from stagnating on roads during the rainy season. He recalled that it was previously decided to identify 141 areas prone to water stagnation and construct water harvesting wells there, and asked for details on their progress.
He directed Senior Official Jayesh Ranjan to take up pending works on a war footing and review their progress from time to time. The Chief Minister directed officials to formulate an appropriate action plan from now on to ensure that, even if drought conditions persist, there are no drinking water issues in Hyderabad city or any region of the state.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good that CM is thinking about flood prevention and dam maintenance. Remember last year's floods in Kamareddy? People suffered a lot. Rs 300 crores for gate repairs is needed but hope they use it properly and not just for show. Also glad they're looking at AI tech for farmer awareness - we need modern solutions for old problems.
Every year same story - Godavari water flows into sea, but our farmers cry for water during summer. 🤦 If they can divert even 20% of that flood water, our agriculture would boom. But need cooperation from Maharashtra and Karnataka. Political will is there now, let's hope bureaucracy doesn't slow things down.
CM is right to warn officials about strict action if dams fail. We all remember what happened in Kerala and how negligence killed people. But my only concern is - will this be sustained or just pre-monsoon drama? Need consistent policy, not just panic before rains. And please fix Hyderabad waterlogging - it's a mess every year!
As a farmer from Warangal, I'm cautiously optimistic. Last year floods destroyed our crops, this year drought might kill them. At least they're talking about crop diversification and low-water crops. But ground reality? We need seeds on time, fertilizers at subsidized rates, and actual water in our canals. Talk is cheap, water is expensive. 💧
Interesting how they're using AI videos for farmer education. But will farmers in remote areas even have access to TV channels showing these? Need to invest in Rythu Vedikas physically, not just digital
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